Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are commonly obtained from subterranean formations that may be located onshore or offshore. The development of subterranean operations and the processes involved in removing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation typically involve a number of different steps such as, for example, drilling a wellbore at a desired well site, treating the wellbore to optimize production of hydrocarbons, and performing the necessary steps to produce and process the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation.
When producing and processing the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation, an underground pump is often used to force fluids toward the surface. More specifically, an electrical submersible pump (ESP) may be installed in a lower portion of the wellbore and used to pressurize fluids, thereby sending the fluids toward the surface. Such ESPs typically include a series of alternating impellers and diffusers, the impellers being designed to rotate as rotors relative to the stationary diffusers. The rotating impellers increase the pressure of the fluids flowing therethrough. When fluids are pumped in this manner against relatively high pressure differentials, the momentum of the fluid may push the individual impellers against downstream diffusers in the series, which applies an undesirable upward thrust to various components of the ESP. This upward thrust, known herein as “upthrust”, can reduce the overall lifespan of the ESP.